Article: Vintage Watches: "Who Commercializes Them" Matters | Why Ante Consistently Sees Them Through to the End. Seeing the essence of the watch.
Vintage Watches: "Who Commercializes Them" Matters | Why Ante Consistently Sees Them Through to the End. Seeing the essence of the watch.
Even among vintage watches of the same model, each piece is in a different condition.
The condition of the case.
The texture of the dial.
The movement.
And the journey the watch has been on over the years.
Only by comprehensively checking these factors can the true condition be revealed.
That's why we believe that not only "which watches to sell," but also **"who commercializes them"** is an important factor that determines quality.
One person handles each watch from start to finish.
I have always resonated with Hermès' philosophy of craftsmanship, which emphasizes:
"One artisan takes responsibility for a single product from beginning to end."
The processes for watches and leather goods are different.
However, the idea that "the person who first handles it is responsible until the end" also applies to vintage watches.
At Ante, we incorporate this philosophy in our own way.
The person who sources the watch verifies it until the end.
At Ante, the person who sources a watch is consistently involved in its commercialization.
Each sourced watch is disassembled, and the movement and the inside of the case are checked with our own eyes.
By checking the internal condition, we can understand:
How the watch was used.
What kind of maintenance it has received.
And what to preserve and where to make adjustments.
We take personal responsibility for the cleaning of the case and bracelet, minor adjustments, and final inspection.
As a rule, we do not alter the dial or hands.
This is because we believe that the value of a vintage watch lies also in its original appearance, preserved through many years.
You can find more details on why we value originality in "What is an original dial?".
A watch cannot be judged by its exterior alone.
With vintage watches, you cannot know their true condition from their appearance alone.
There are watches whose cases are clean but have internal problems.
Conversely, there are watches that, while showing natural aging, convey that they have been carefully treated.
That's why we always disassemble and check the interior.
There is always a "consistency" in a watch.
Exterior and interior.
Only by checking both can we determine the true condition.
You can find more details on what we consider "truly good vintage watches" in "What is the "truly good condition" of a vintage watch?".
Quality that can be protected precisely because it is inefficient.
This method is by no means efficient.
However, each vintage watch is in a different condition.
That is why we believe that the person who first assesses the watch taking responsibility until the end leads to the best quality.
Even after inspecting approximately 10,000 watches each month, only a very small number can be offered as products.
Nevertheless, we never change our standards.
You can find more details on why Ante has a limited number of products in "Why Ante commercializes only about 10 out of approximately 10,000 vintage watches inspected each month".
Ante's Philosophy
The quality of a vintage watch is not determined by the watch alone.
Who assesses it, and who takes responsibility for its commercialization?
That accumulation leads to the quality of each individual piece.
You can find more details on Ante's criteria for commercializing watches in "Thinking beyond the sale. That is Ante's quality standard."
